Hello everybody my name is Liam Wetherfield and tonight I will be taking you through and covering all the action from the 1st leg in the round of 16 playoffs in the UEFA Europa League between Feyenoord & Roma as well as reporting on the key moments from the three other early kick-offs in the competition which are as follows; Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Marseille & Young Boys vs Sporting.
In the last hour or so leading up to kick-off, we’ve now received official confirmation of the starting line-ups in tonight’s main fixture and they’re as follows;
Feyenoord – Timon Wellenreuther, Bart Nieuwkoop, Thomas Beelen, David Hancko, Quilindschy Hartman, Calvin Stengs, Ramiz Zerrouki, Mats Wieffer, Yankuba Minteh, Ayase Ueda, Igor Paixao
Roma – Mile Svilar, Rick Karsdorp, Diego Llorente, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Spinazzola, Edoardo Bove, Leandro Paredes, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Nicola Zalewski
FIRST HALF
1′ – We’re underway here in Rotterdam, both teams looking to gain the advantage heading in to the all important second leg on February 22nd.
6′ – It remains goalless here at De Kuip as both teams are trying to find their feet in this game.
7′ – Roma have a great chance to open the scoring in this tie within the opening 10 minutes with an effort just outside the box from midfielder Bove, but it’s easily dealt with by the Feyenoord defence.
9′ – Pellegrini has a golden opportunity to put his team ahead, but following a spilling of the ball from Feyenoord goalkeeper Wellenreuther, Croatian defender Hancko pulls off an incredible goal-line clearance to deny the Italian midfielder.
14′ – There’s been a booking here in Rotterdam as Beelen is shown a yellow card for bringing down Romelu Lukaku.
16′ – Lukaku is at the forefront again for Roma, this time with a header following a brilliant delivery into the box by Polish winger Zalewski, but it’s comfortably dealt with by Wellenreuther.
20′ – Feyenoord get their first real chance to open the scoring in this fixture as Brazilian winger Paixao weaves his way through the Roma defence, only to steer his shot wide of Svilar’s goal.
GOAL UPDATE – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – 1-0 – Kerem Demirbay – (19′)
25′ – Still goalless here in Rotterdam, both teams having some fantastic chances to put their respective teams ahead but neither side have been able to find the back of the net thus far.
27′ – Paixao has a great chance to put the Dutch side up 1-0, but he is deemed offside despite Svilar making easy work of the Brazilian forward’s attempt on goal.
30′ – Roma have a great chance as we hit the half-hour mark here at De Kuip to go ahead, but Beelen pulls off an incredible last-ditch tackle to deny the Belgian forward.
GOAL UPDATE – Young Boys vs Sporting – 0-1 – Aurele Amenda – OG – (31′)
35′ – Another booking here in Rotterdam as Gambian winger Minteh, who is on loan at the Dutch giants from Premier League side Newcastle United, is shown a yellow card for what seemed at first glance a rather tame challenge on left-back Spinazzola.
40′ – An incredible attempt from outside the box from Paredes, but an incredible fingertip save from Wellenreuther denies the Argentinian defensive midfielder from opening the scoring for the Italian side in this hotly-contested tie.
GOAL UPDATE – Young Boys vs Sporting – 0-2 – Viktor Gyokeres – (41)
44′ – We’re approaching half-time here at De Kuip and it remains goalless in what has been an entertaining affair thus far between Feyenoord & Roma.
GOAL UPDATE – Young Boys vs Sporting – 1-2 – Filip Ugrinic – (42′)
45′ – GOAL – Brazilian winger Paixao opens the scoring for the dutch giants following an incredible cross into the box from Hartman and beating the likes of Spinazzola & Diego Llorente in mid-air, he heads home past Svilar to put his side ahead with what could turn out to be a crucial goal in the two legs between these teams.
Embed from Getty ImagesHT
SECOND HALF
47′ – We’re back underway here in Rotterdam as Feyenoord currently lead Roma in the first leg of their respective UEFA Europa League Round of 16 play-off.
GOAL UPDATE – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – 1-1 – Angelo Preciado – (47′)
GOAL UPDATE – Young Boys vs Sporting – 1-3 – Goncalo Inacio – (48′)
52′ – It’s still 1-0 here in Rotterdam as Feyenoord have a one-goal lead over Roma following a header from Paixao in the closing stages of the first-half.
61′ – We’ve hit the hour mark here at De Kuip and Feyenoord still remain very much in control of this first leg between themselves & Roma, the best chance the Italians have had in this game thus far came from the incredible outside-of-the-box attempt from Leandro Paredes in the first-half.
GOAL UPDATE – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – 2-1 – Dries Mertens – (60′)
RED CARD – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – Victor Nelsson – (62′)
GOAL UPDATE – Shakhtar Donetsk vs Marseille – 0-1 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – (64′)
GOAL UPDATE – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – 2-2 – Jan Kuchta – (65′)
66′ – GOAL – Romelu Lukaku equalises for the Italian side with a brilliantly timed header following a cross into the box from Spinazzola, before taking a deflection of Hancko as it flies past Wellenreuther and into the back of the net.
Embed from Getty ImagesGOAL UPDATE – Shakhtar Donetsk vs Marseille – 1-1 – Mykola Matviyenko – (68′)
74′ – A couple of audacious attempts from Feyenoord to try and double their lead, the first coming from an overhead attempt from substitute Santiago Gimenez as well as an outside-of-the-box attempt from Wieffer, however both shots were cut out by Diego Llorente & Edoardo Bove for the Italian side respectively.
IMPORTANT NOTICE – Be sure to tune into the other four UEFA Europa League games set to take place following the culmination of the four currently being played around the world, those games are as follows;
80′ – It remains level here in Rotterdam as we head into the final 10 minutes of what has been an entertaining affair between Feyenoord & Roma.
RED CARD – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – Matej Rynes – (80′)
85′ – It’s almost full-time here at De Kuip as Feyenoord & Roma remain level heading into thjat all important second leg on February 22nd at the Stadio Olimpico.
RED CARD – Young Boys vs Sporting – Mohamed Ali Camara – (88′)
GOAL UPDATE – Shakhtar Donetsk vs Marseille – 1-2 – Iliman Ndiaye – (90′)
GOAL UPDATE – Galatasaray vs Sparta Praha – 3-2 – Mauro Icardi – (90+1)
GOAL UPDATE – Shakhtar Donetsk vs Marseille – 2-2 – Eguinaldo – (90+3)
FT
It ends level here in Rotterdam as Feyenoord & Roma head into the second leg on February 22nd at the Stadio Olimpico a goal apiece following headed goals from both Igor Paixao & Romelu Lukaku.
It’s also full-time in the other three earlier kick-offs in the UEFA Europa League and those results are as follows;
